Sanctuary at Home is the curation of a home display with an sanctuary themed artwork that represents a centrepiece, focal point or place of refuge.
The artworks were made in the ceramics studio at the Belfast School of Art, Ulster University in response to a presentation by Dr. Chris McHugh on the theme of making with our belongings and symbolic objects of home.
Sanctuary refers to safety, security and retreat.
The home sanctuary is a place of comfort and artistry—a form of making with what we have at hand and what is most our own.
Anrai McCarthy
My corner of the house,
It’s upstairs, it’s tucked away.
I come here to sit, to breathe, to be at peace, to work in quiet contemplation.
This was a perfect place for my centrepiece to live, my little temple of light.
It will sit behind me, burning away as I continue onward, a symbol of hope, stillness and warmth to guide me home.
Devon Mullally
The inspiration for my nest was tying together the concepts of nest, sanctuary and refuge.
I included mostly natural materials sourced from the local Louth beaches, to recreate the sanctuary the nest brings to birds along the cold, cragged coasts. It also ties in with the beach being a sanctuary to me.
I positioned my sanctuary on my kitchen table, as I consider it the heart of my home.
Victoria MacLynn
My Sanctuary – is my home where my loved ones reside. My love for art, animals, nature and colour. My love for beauty in objects around us and their aesthetic qualities that bring pleasure to the mind through our senses.
Suzii MacKenzie
My sanctuary is in the creative process. When considering my display, I felt drawn to the colours of a palette, and wanted to highlight how I feel a sense of peace when making. Like the rest of the world tunes out.
Nicola Leckey
The mantelpiece holds symbols of groundedness, protection and potential. Ceramic roots are surrounded by soft and reinforced textiles, woven with twigs and found materials.
Rebekah Wynn
My Sanctuary is my body. It is through the body that I experience and taste the richness of this life. It acts as a sacred vessel, expanding to protect and hold me whilst on this earth plane. Returning to my body through meditation, movement and sound is my safe space. My body is a place where I can return to, always. As I journey through this spiral of life, I am reminded of the journeys I have and continue to go through, through my body.
Here, I have placed her in the corner of my living room amongst some of my personal objects. It is a quiet space where I can retreat to when I feel out of balance. She is surrounded by light, acting as a reminder to me to embrace the light that is within me.
Accept her.
Heal her.
Love her.
Reclaim her. Trust her.
Lydia Burnell
I always have a few different “altars” around my home. My ceramic Sanctuary piece is part of the one in my living room; where I do my morning yoga and prayer. Before sunrise I light candles and burn incense, and it helps transport me to my own inner sanctuary of a temple – my daily pocket of peace, gratitude, reflection and connection before the day begins.
Claire McGuigan
My sanctuary piece was based on my bedroom at my parents’ house at home which had always been my sanctuary. It has a lot of memories in it and always was there for me to come back to after a long day, a good night out or an argument with my mum over something silly. It’s the place I learnt how to play bass guitar in, make art in, dye my hair in, spill copious amounts of paint, white spirit, and nail varnish on the floor in and somewhere I always felt myself in. It is the place I love to introduce people to as there is so much life in it: items from travelling, handmade crafts, and art on the walls. It really reflects my inside self. I love watching people walk around it and soak it all in. It has been my comfort place for as long as I can remember and, even now when I come home from Belfast every 3-4 weeks, my mum tends to set my old teddies up in a line and a packet of sweets or chocolate on my bed to welcome me home.
Geraldine Timlin
My home is a sanctuary. Nature is my more expansive sanctuary. I am very grateful to live near the sea. I love the roar of the Atlantic Ocean in Donegal. It soothes me, creates safety and makes me aware of how fortunate I am to be here.
I created my Sanctuary art piece based on an alternative take on a holy water font. Being brought up Catholic but no longer tied to its practices, I feel more connected to the sea and landscape around me. I created the ceramic ‘font’ wrapped in seaweed; it contains seawater from the Atlantic near my home. My ‘holy water ‘. A natural blessing.
I have placed the font in my bedroom, in a quiet corner. Meaningful items surround it, a handmade Japanese tea bowl I made, a treasure chest my partner gave me, a candle and a Bonsai tree. All these things combined remind me of life, its beauty, wholeness and interconnectedness.
MSc Art Psychotherapy, Ulster University 